I heard there would be archaeology dailies. Are these dailies available only when archaeology skill reaches 525? Or is it like the fishing and cooking dailies in Cata, which merely require minimum skill points?(Source)

The latter. Archaeology dailies are like fishing and cooking, chosen randomly from 3-5 quests every day.

We have some new Archaeology items data-mined from the latest MoP Beta:

Pandaren Tea Set – The Pandaren have a rich history of tea. While much care is given to its brewing, the secrets to properly enjoying tea have always been equally valued. This simple tea set was made during the reign of the Mogu, and provided solace and respite to the owner during a time of great pain and tyranny. Although it is cracked and broken, it serves as a reminder to take comfort in the simple pleasures of life.

Chang Ki Board and Pieces – Pandaren love games. Chang Ki in particular has been a favorite among the Pandaren since the time of the first Pandaren emperor. Unfortunately, many of the pieces in this ancient set have been lost.

Twin Steins of Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo – “A matching set of drinking steins, made of ebony and jade. Brewfather Quan Tou Kuo, “The Two-Fisted”, sought to mitigate the side effects of strong drink by creating the perfect duality of brews. When imbibed together in the proper ratios, the Pale Ale of Spirit and the Dark Stout of the Mind combine in the drinker’s stomach to achieve a state of enlightenment and goodwill without the loss of judgment and self-control so often experienced by less refined brews. Sadly, the Brewfather’s secrets have been lost to time, but these lovingly crafted steins serve as a permanent reminder of his expertise.

Walking Cane of Brewfather Ren Yun – “A long cane tipped with a head of carved whalebone, once used by the enigmatic Brewfather, Ren Yun. Blind since birth, Ren Yun’s other senses were heightened. As a result, he found the brews of his time to be harsh or bitter. Years of experimentation allowed him to perfect four perfect brews that appealed to each of his other senses. And yet, the “one brew” that would appeal to all four senses at the same time eluded him. It was only at the end of his long life that he perfected the one master recipe, “The Four Senses Brew”, that was the most magnificent discovery of his generation. Sadly the recipe was lost to time, because Ren Yun’s handwriting was pretty much illegible.

Empty Keg of Brewfather Xin Wo Yin – The heart-shaped spigot to this cask reveals it to be an artifact of the late great Brewfather Xin Wo Yin, “The Brokenhearted”. Generations ago this renowned Brewfather created “Heartswell Brew”, a concoction that infuses the drinker’s entire being with a profound sense of warmth and wellbeing. It was said that Xin Wo Yin so loved the product of his art that he wept tears of heavy sorrow over every keg that left his brewery. It’s likely that he wept over this very keg. Being that it’s empty, you feel a little morose yourself.

Gold-Inlaid Porcelain Funerary Figurine – “Commissioned at the time of the death of a loved one, figurines such as this one help the grieved overcome their loss. This statuette depicts a beautiful young Pandaren Lorewalker named Lin. The inscription indicates the she succumbed to a terrible fever that swept through the Valley of Four Winds during the short reign of the Hozen Emperor Rikktik.

Apothecary Tins of Yao Firmpaw – A complete set of brass apothecary jars, with neatly engraved labels, meant for the storage of a complicated array of powerful medicinal herbs. Although the exact use of most of the herbs remains a mystery, a plaque on the box containing the tins identifies the physician as Yao Firmpaw, a name still associated with health and wellness in the Valley of Four Winds because of his spectacular career. Yao never married; legend has it because his heart was forever broken.

Pearl of Yu’lon (the Jade Serpent)– Etched around the center of this orb of jade is a serpent eating its own tail. Inscriptions on either hemisphere read: ‘There is but one certainty – every end marks a new beginning.’ This orb, carved during the reign of Pandaren Emperor Shu Blindeye in honor of the Jade Serpent, is a representation of the his rebirth into a new body every hundred years. Yu’lon still bestows wisdom and insight from his temple in the Jade Forest.

Standard of Nuzao – A spool of thick canvas that, when held aloft, unfurls to reveal a proud emblem of the Pandaren Empire. Heavy iron rings dangle from long ribbons of leather affixed along the bottom, pulling the banner taut. Stitched into each strip of leather is a reminder for the standard-bearer: “Fear seeks to diminish you, instead, let it reveal you.”

Umbrella of Chi-Ji – The delicate paper canopy of this tall bamboo umbrella has been miraculously preserved since its making some time during the lengthy Thunderpaw dynasty. The underside depicts a blanket of jet-black storm clouds, while a glorious crimson sun adorns the top. Inked in elegant calligraphy across the clouds is a short message: “Hope is the sun behind a stormy sky, ever in the heart, but veiled to the eye.” Chi-Ji, the Red Crane, has stood as a symbol of hope for the Pandaren for centuries. His ornate and glorious temple is perched in a vicious jungle south of the Valley of the Four Winds.

Spear of Xuen – Crafted during the Zandalari Troll Wars, this imposing spear is surprisingly lightweight and flexible. Its lacquered wooden shaft is gouged with deep scars, though the tip appears completely unscathed. Judging by the length of this weapon and its date of origin, you presume it was a mounted weapon intended for use from the back of a flying serpent. Scratched into the weathered handle is a note: “The only opponent is yourself.” Xuen, the White Tiger, is legendary for his ferocity and prowess in battle. It is at his temple, high in the mountains of Kun Lai Summit, that hopeful warriors temper their strength with discipline.

Manacles of Rebellion – Forged of iron and imbued with spells of subjugation and pain, these manacles with inward facing spikes were forced onto the slave races of the Mogu. While the spells have long since faded, their cruelty still sends chills down your spine.

Cracked Mogu Runestone – Unlike “lesser races” that need schooling in the arts of magic, the ability was innate in the Mogu. From what is known about Mogu usage of magic, it is clear that their magic users did not fall into known categories, such as mage or warlock. Special emphasis was placed on flesh-shaping or spirit-capture magic. The strange residue of the magic that was imbued in this stone is difficult to understand by the modern races of Azeroth. Curiously, some of the markings around the rune resemble the Titan language.

Terracotta Arm – When the Mogu had exhausted their options for enslaved mortal warriors, they turned their attention to creating armies of animated constructs to do their fighting for them. Because these terracotta warriors would sometimes sit dormant for centuries, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when this one was constructed or used. However, scoring at the base of the severed arm indicates that it was felled in combat.

Petrified Bone Whip – This whip was fashined from the spine of some large and ancient creature. The blood of many Mogu slaves were shed by this instrument of pain.

Thunder King Insignia – The symbol of a crown and crossed lightning bolts emblazon this jade emblem. It was a badge once worn by soldiers of the first Mogu emperor, Lei Shen.

Edicts of the Thunder King – This code of laws, written in the unified language of the first empire, has been carefully chiseled onto the stone tablet. At the top of this list is the command that sedition, insurrection and rebellion be punished by public evisceration.

Iron Amulet – This huge iron amulet weighs as much as a battle axe. Mogu warriors often wore “”jewelry”” such as this as a demonstration of strength.

Warlord’s Branding Iron – This branding iron emblazoned with the symbol of a minor Mogu warlord was used not on cattle, but on enslaved humanoids.

Mogu Coin – This currency was used during the reign of mogu emperor Wai, who is depicted in all his snarling glory. The reverse of the coin depicts the changing of Mogu dynasties, a bloody process wherein the previous regime must be overpowered and executed. In many ways, ancient Mogu government was a meritocracy, based on brutal strength and terrible cunning.

Worn Monument Ledger – Even with powerful magic at their disposal, the Mogu often preferred to use slaves to build their massive monuments. This ledger documents the cost, in slaves, during the construction of one such monument.

Quilen Statuette – This statuette, carved during the brief reign of Mogu emperor Kang, was part of an experiment to bind Quilen servants in small stones. This experiment was abandoned as the Quilen thus bound were greatly diminished in power and thus deemed unworthy.

Anatomical Dummy – An anatomical dummy of a Pandaren. It was used to document torture techniques.

I have mixed feelings about Archaeology. I feel like it’s a good addition to professions and offers more, and more varied, gameplay than our existing professions. Still, it’s clear that some players wanted more. We wanted Archaeology to be hard to complete. We didn’t want it to be one of those professions you can max out by buying up mats at the Auction House. But random reward systems whose long-term goals are more interesting than the short term ones can feel grindy. Archaeology had too much travel time. It could be punishingly random, especially for players who imagined that it would be a guaranteed delivery mechanism for Zin’rokh (which was never the intention). Players missed a lot of the lore, which was delivered in the Archaeology journal and not as part of the survey or digging experience. We think the Mists of Pandaria expansion will be really good for Archaeology. Players will be focused on a couple of new races on a single continent, so travel and randomness will be reduced automatically, and leveling Archaeology should be a bit more convenient since there will be more opportunities to dig at a single site. We have other tricks up our sleeve too.

Ghostcrawler shared his thoughts with Curse on Patch 4.3 now that it has been released and what the future has in store. Listen to the full interview for some other info that relates to Mists of Pandaria!

Items from Archaeology have low item levels compared to the new and easy to access gear added in Patch 4.3, Are there any plans to scale or add new Archaeology items that will be relevant to the current content?
We will likely add new items, we didn’t want to compete with heirlooms and give alt characters more gear than they could possibly use, allowing them to level without caring at all about loot gained while leveling. We like the idea of artifacts remaining something that you can trade between characters on your account. If you get a healer trinket that you can’t use right now because you don’t have a healer, it could be something you use one day, rather than solving your healer trinket problems forever. (Source)

The Hour of Twilight is here and we have a few confirmed changes for Archaeology. (Patch Notes)

What was previewed on the PTR came through to live, tracking archaeology sites via minimap.

Archaeology areas of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.

Also: Archaeology fragments will now be 5-9 per dig (at max-level), with three digs per site as usual. This is great for new and old Archaeologists to make money off of the grey items and to help finish up the rares you’re missing.

Below is a side by side comparison of the World Map and the new MiniMap Feature.

The minimap needs NO Addons anymore for tracking archaeology sites now. But it’s still nice to have certain features from Addons like Archy for right click surveying and tracking your projects.